Aurora Borealis
by Isaolde
Summary: She was payment for her father's debts. Trapped in an ancient castle, hidden from the sun, Isabella Swan must fight for her survival, even if her destiny is to be mate to the King of the Vampire World. (This is my first real fic, and I promise the story will be better than this blasted summary). Aro x Bella. I don't own Twilight. I won't say it again.
1. Forget

**Forget**

"I will get you back, Bella," Papa whispered, choking back his sobs. He held me tight, squeezing the air from my lungs in sorrow. "I am so sorry, princess."

Tears stung my eyes, and I didn't try to hold them back. If Papa was crying, so could I. I hugged him with equal force, clinging to the only person I had left in this world.

Mama passed away three winters back, and our lives imploded. My mother was the force of the family, and she did whatever it took to keep our family alive and well when Papa's hardwork fell short of meeting expenses. More than that, my mother loved us without bounds. In my eyes, there was no love comparable to that of her love for Papa, except for me. I was her heart, but he was her soul.

Losing her was devastating for me, but it nearly destroyed Papa. _I'm split in half now, Bella._ If I wasn't a factor in the equation, it surely would have. And when the storm passed, and Papa finally pulled himself away from his work to check on my wellbeing, we sobbed in eachothers arms until the sun went down.

Last summer, Papa grew ill and was forced to bed during the planting season. I spent hours, sunrise to sundown, planting. Papa's health drew me away often, and my attention was split. When the crops sprouted in the fall, I felt like a failure. They were meager and sparse, and not nearly enough to upkeep the farm.

The only blessing that came from the fall was Papa's recovery. His string of fevers ceased, and he finally felt well enough to leave the confines of the house. By then, the crops were a lost cause. Papa sought out answers in the city and came back with the only option; we had to borrow funds from the a group known as the Volturi. Papa told me that the men were trustworthy and would only come calling if their money wasn't returned on time; no interest, just repayment. The faith my father had in the farm and these men gave me hope for our future.

When the crop season ended, the Volturi came calling for their money. The men they sent smelled sugary sweet, but they loomed over us in darkness. They arrived in cloaks in the dead of night, demanding compensation. When we explained our lack of funds, they offered to take my service in exchange for the debt, and I accepted even though Papa argued against it adamantly. But I would do anything for my father. The men gave us a few days with each other before sending guards to collect me. And now, after hours of tears and time together, it was time to leave.

"I love you, Papa," I whimpered, pushing my face into his chest. We remained in each other's embrace for a few minutes before the clearing of a throat interrupted us.

"It is time to go," the taller man spoke up. He introduced himself as Demetri a few nights before.

I nodded into Papa's chest, squeezed him once more, and forced a smile onto my face. His face did not reflect my own; he looked devastated. I would see him again, though. I would do everything in my power to see him. So I told him just that.

"I'll see you soon, Papa."

With that, I boarded the carriage and waved to him from the window until he was just a speck in the distance. And then I cried.

The ride was long and jarring, and I spent most of it staring out the window, watching the darkness pass us by. Papa and I lived just outside of Volterra, so it did not take us long to reach the center of the city. Each tree we passed counted as a fallen tear, and I wrapped my arms around my middle in an attempt to hold back my sobs. Halfway there, my tears stopped, and a cloak of numbness settled on my shoulders. I welcomed the oblivion, and wished for sleep to take me. Unfortunately, it never came.

I refused to speak with the man sharing the carriage with me. Felix grinned at me from his corner of the carriage, cheekily, and his gaze did not leave for the entirety of the ride. I kept my eyes diverted, instinctively wary of his presence. Once the carriage halted, I was forced to give him my attention, but Felix only winked and exited silently. For a moment, I remained in my seat, confused at the level of impropriety. But then again, I was a servant now. My life was forfeit and worthless; there was no need to impress the little slave with manners.

A hand peeped through the door, and I blushed in my idiocy. My embarrassment pushed me on, and I shot up from my seat quickly, surrendering my hand into the welcoming one. It wasn't Felix who helped me from the carriage, but a smaller, younger man instead. The man, or should I say boy, looked to be no older than 14, but still had the same maturity and grace as his compatriots. It was odd.

Once I exited the carriage without incident, I smiled at the boy, and extended my gratitude.

"You are welcome, miss," he started, flashing me a glowing white smile. "I would like to introduce myself. I am Alec, a guard here in the Volterra castle. If you need anything, please, do not be afraid to ask me."

I blushed at his kindness. One of my biggest worries was how I would be treated at the palace; so far, however, my worries were disproving themselves. Alec's friendly welcome filled me with a newfound confidence and I could feel my energy returning in strides.

"Thank you, Alec. I am Isabella, but you may call me Bella, if you wish."

"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Bella. I hope to see you more after tonight."

The first night passed with no interruptions. Once the two men, Alec and Felix, led me into the castle, I was quickly routed to my future quarters and I gracelessly plopped myself onto the cot in the corner and fell asleep.

I was surprised by the sight of my room when I woke up. I was not in my bed or in my father's home any longer. When I finally adjusted to the current situation, I realized I was in a barn. The rafters were old and wooden, and looked almost unstable in their age. Cobwebs strung across them, but their residents were far from home. The ground wasn't wood or stone but straw, and the only furniture in the room other than my meesley cot was a sad, slightly petrified, wooden chest to store my goods. The size of the bedroom was uncomfortable, but for Papa's sake I would survive. There was no other way.

Seconds after I managed to pull myself up from the rickety old cot, my door was swung open and an angel walked into my hole. Her hair was blonde and wavy like my mothers, but she was undeniably younger. The porcelain appearance of her skin was breathtaking and reminded me of buttercream. The woman held herself with poise, and frowned upon me in disgrace, her symmetrical features both stern and sultry. She was beauty - the belle of the ball.

"Isabella, I presume?" She raised an eyebrow in question, and tucked a piece of parchment from her hand into the pit of her arm. I watched her delicate fingers move, stunned by the grace of such a small limb. It was inhuman. My eyes danced back up to hers, and a lump formed in my throat as I caught her gaze. Red eyes peered back at me, firey and unforgiving. Red eyes were far too unnatural. They were a bad omen, and with the evidence of my fate staring me head on I began to quiver.

Beauty like hers always comes with a terrible price.

"Yes. Isabella Swan, Madame," I whispered, forcing myself to keep my gaze on her.

The woman gestured for me to follow her and turned on her heel, sauntering off. I was left staring after her for a few seconds before I caught myself and forced my feet forward.

"I am Heidi," she started, not offering me another glance. "I will be your supervisor while you are in the service of the Volturi. Today, I will run you through your duties as a ward of the kings."

The Kings? I did not know of any Kings in Volterra. So I came to the only conclusion left. _These kings she spoke of must be the Volturi brothers._

Father entered into a loan agreement with these _creatures._ There was little to no humanity about them beyond their featured appearance. But even their looks were ethereal; like I somehow was transported into the kingdom of Olympus itself and the Gods decided I was worthy of their presence. Except that wasn't the case. This castle oozed death and danger, and I knew that there was a low chance I would leave this place with my life intact.


	2. Hello

**A/N Caius is probably going to be a bit out of character in this one; fuck everyone probably is. But please enjoy! I am so grateful for your feedback so far! I have a large portion of this story written, but it's all sort of out of order portions. This first part is the section I haven't touched yet, so posting will be on an interesting schedule, but I promise, this will be a finished story in, I hope, a few months time. Love you all!**

 **Hello**

The castle was extraordinary. The walls were lined with beautiful artwork, from beautiful Tuscan landscapes to portraits of the most glorious beings I'd ever seen. The palace appeared stuck, no, rooted in the middle of the Renaissance. Murals of cherubs and gargoyles alike adorned the ancient walls, graced with a plethora of intricately chiseled marble trim. Nearly every inch of the palace was made from marble; the floors especially.

I was in utter awe. Heidi showed me around quickly, but took great care in pointing out which rooms I was tasked to; the library, main ballroom, and Master Caius' suite and study. Of all of these, I was most excited to spend her days cleaning the library. Even if I couldn't read while I worked, or borrow any of the books for later; it was a blessing just to know that there was knowledge under my fingertips. I promised myself that I would record the names of every book I saw, determined to spend time immersed when I finally left this place.

Heidi assured me that dusting constituted her main day to day tasks, but wash downs needed to occur three times a week. Immense relief washed over me when Heidi stated that no harm would come to me while I remained in the Volturi Castle, so long as my father made well on his promise to repay his debts.

Nearing the end of the tour, and my new quarters, a strange look developed on Heidi's face. Eyebrows furrowed and eyes glazed, she looked both pensive and guarded. I studied her in my periphery for a few seconds, wary, before focusing on my surroundings once more.

"Isabella," she called. I realized that Heidi was behind me now, and I turned around to face her, crossing my hands in front of me. "Yes, Miss Heidi?"

"Please be wary of how late you stay out of your quarters at night. While the Volturi will not harm you, there are other dangers lurking about this castle."

I eyed her suspiciously, curious as to why and what danger existed in the first place, and Heidi's reasoning for actually making me aware of this. Instinctually, I knew she cared, for some unknown reason, about my wellbeing, and I respected that.

"Is this a step towards friendship, then?" I asked, trying not to question her behaviour when, as far as I knew, she was my supervisor.

Surprisingly, though, Heidi;s odd expression bolstered into a glowing grin as she spoke the last works I expected to come from her mouth.

"I guess it is."

Heidi led me to my room which truly wasn't much to look at. The cot situated in the corner of the room took up more space than the chest of drawers allocated for my belongings. The walls were grey and plain, and held little to be desired. But even though her room was cramped and more boring than my reflection. Nonetheless, I was grateful for the lack of dirt and a bed to sleep in.

 _Better than the floor,_ I reminded myself as I climbed onto the cot shortly after Heidi left. So far, treatment at the Volturi palace exceeded any expectations I entered with.

Still, there was something dreadfully off about the dwellings and the… creatures that resided within these walls. Little did I know, I wouldn't be in the dark for much longer.

~AB~

I woke up the next morning fully rested and shocked at the fact that nightmares did not plague my sleep. Grateful that my first day would not be inhibited by exhaustion, I hurried to get ready for the day.

I didn't want to be here, but there was no use in fighting for my freedom; not until I gained some semblance of power. I was determined to withstand all this palace could throw at me so long as it meant seeing my loving Papa one more time.

If our debt was caused by anything other than my Papa's attempt at saving the love of his life, my mother, from the disease that riddled her body, I would have found utter rage in my current situation. But I could not fault a man that loved his wife enough to go in debt for the measly chance to save her existence. He loved us both so much. For that, I chose not to fight yet… Not until I had a fair shot at winning.

After braiding my hair down the center of my back, I trudged towards the servant's kitchen Heidi told me about the day before, starving for sustenance. The trek wasn't too far, and before I knew it, I found myself in a hardly occupied kitchen, staring at a dawdling pot-bellied chef. His eyes were muddy brown and held little excitement at seeing me walk in the door. Not that I expected it, but having not met the man before, I expected at least a greeting or introduction.

He just stared at me in apathy and handed over a bowl of oats before walking through a door and leaving me be. Odd.

The rest of my day was no different. I passed a few discontented maids in the halls, but met no one willing to so much as speak to me. They didn't even speak to each other. Everyone just worked, swung into the kitchens for meals, and slept. It was a total bore. No friends to be had here. And as much as I hoped, I did not see Heidi at all during the day.

I scrubbed the ballroom floors diligently, and dusted every nook and cranny in reach (and even some that really weren't). The library, my light of the day, was a quick room to dust, and before I knew it, I found myself scouring the shelves for something of interest.

The library bursted with books and scrolls. Blank spaces did not show on the walls, only bookshelves. Endless. Thousands of books existed, with stories written beyond the pages of their manuscripts. I wanted to die in that library, beneath the spines and words of so many before me. Such a death was bliss.

When I finally managed to pull myself from the depths of the infinite books, I rushed to my next stop, the one room Heidi did not let me enter yesterday. Master Caius was busy, and did not want to receive any disturbances, so I did not get the opportunity to take in my duties before my daily routine was established.

I entered Master Caius' study, cautious of any current dwellings. Heidi told me to stay silent while I cleaned, and I would not stray from her advice. Upon entrance, the room appeared to be empty, besides a mewling kitty in the corner of the room, so I began my work, dusting the desk and following the instructions presented; dust, organize, and get out.

Halfway through the room, the door opened suddenly, and a loud, trumpeting male voice interrupted me. "Aro, what the bloody hell are you doing in my study?"

I turned around suddenly, startled and confused by this man's greeting. First of all, I'd never met him before. And second, my name was Isabella; not this Aro he was addressing.

The man before me was platinum blonde and adorned in decedent gold robes. And like the others I met over the past day, his eyes were a sparkling ruby red.

He realized, in an instant, that I wasn't the object of his attention, and a deep frown set into his features.

"You are not Aro."

"No, I am Isabella," I started in a whisper. "I was assigned to clean your quarters."

Caius looked at me speculatively, scouring my appearance, and visibly flaring his nostrils. He took a few steps closer, before halting mere feet in front of me. He reeked authority and danger, yet his presence comforted me. His face softened then, as if he came to some realization.

"Isabella," he drawled, seeming to ponder over the name, or something, for a few moments. "How did you come to work in this castle, _Isabella?"_

"My papa owes you a debt, I am mere colateral," I murmured.

Caius folded his arms in front of his chest; half scowling, half twinkling at me. "This will not end well," he laughed, looking at me without a hint of a threat in sight. His words should have terrified me, but they did not. Nonetheless, a foreboding air accompanied them.

"I hope to leave here soon, Master Caius. So long as Papa gets the money."

Caius took a seat in an ornate wingback chair, and folded his hands in front of him. "Isabella, unfortunately, I so not see you leaving this castle soon."

"But Papa-"

"It is not your Papa, _sorello,_ who will keep you here. But mind that. We have plenty of time... How are you getting along?"

I stared at him in complete confusion. Never in my life had anyone practically foresaw my future, viewed me as a more permanent entity here, and then referred to me as 'sister.'

"I don't understand."

"You will, in due time. Meanwhile, feel free to use my study as your escape. Athenadora, my wife, rarely visits me here, and it would be marvelous to have company in my work." Caius relaxed back into his chair then, throwing me a firm grin.

By the time I realized I was gawking, Caius was struggling to hold back laughter. How was I supposed to react to his mysterious behaviour. Everything he said held a serious and permanent edge to it. I wanted to laugh with him and escape from this place simultaneously.

"Yes, Master Caius."

"Just Caius, dear. We'll be family soon enough."

I blinked at him, in the dark on my role in his future. It was all so fucking weird. But at the same time, he was presenting me with power. Even if I did not understand the authority I held, his actions made me believe that he was sincere in his respect for me. How laughable!

Overcome with a strength I did not know I possessed, and embracing the confidence of my father instilled in me at such a young age, I squared my shoulders and faced the creature I hoped was another newfound friend.

"Caius, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."


	3. Breathe

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! Thank you for your wonderful welcome! I just moved so that's why this chapter is a little delayed. Weekly updates is the goal here. I have about 15K words written so far, so the story is about a quarter the way finished on my end. Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy this story through to the end with me…**

 **Breathe**

As time passed, Caius Volturi quickly became my greatest ally. He was conniving and confident, but very thoughtful. And I often found myself wondering why he would pay me any mind in the first place.

A week into my servitude for the brothers, Caius set a chaise up in his study for me to relax on once my work was done. He did not want to inhibit my duties or cause unnecessary queries about why I was exempt from certain tasks even though I held no higher place than the servants in this court. Instead, he allowed me to spend my free time with him, so long as I did not disturb him in his work.

Caius kept a collection of books for me in his office, particularly the ones I showed interest in while cleaning the library. It started when I mentioned Romeo and Juliet offhand, wishing aloud that I had the opportunity to read it again before I left home. The next day, an ancient copy of the play waited for me on my chaise, eager for a reader. Now, I'd been here for two weeks, reading literature and deeply observing my surroundings.

I missed the Tuscan landscape. In all my time cleaning and perusing the castle halls, I did not see a single window. And maybe there were windows in the rooms I did not enter, but it had been weeks since I last saw the sun. There was still light: everything was lit up by candles and torches, and I rarely found myself lost in the dark. But oh god, I missed the sunshine.

Red eyes everywhere unnerved me, and I began to develop suspicions as to what these beings were. One night, after Caius sent me to bed, I lay in my cot, staring at the grey, peeling ceiling while I mulled over old myths and legends I learned throughout my life. I tried to conjure up some explanation for their strange behaviors and appearances. So pale, so ethereal. But nothing out of the ordinary pointed me towards what they were exactly. Still, I felt so close to the answer, like I knew what they were, but still could not place it. So I decided to observe closely, and keep an eye out for clues that would guide me in finding out their secret.

All the while, I spent my days cleaning the castle, and waiting restlessly for the few hours I could spend in Caius' study, immersed in my own world.

A few weeks after I got here, I found myself lounged out on the chaise, completely absorbed in a text on the creation of Rome when the door busted open, slamming against the adjacent wall.

A figure, both tall and lean, stepped through the door. Their shoulders were tense, and the posture they held screamed irritation. Before I could glimpse at the man, he disappeared in a blur, only to reappear in front of Caius' desk, looming over the front of it. Shoulder length, sleek, black hair encompassed the man's head, half pulled back by a silver clip.

"Caius, brother, please divulge me in your reasons for not attending the meeting I called in the throne room."

Though I couldn't see the man, my eyes were fixed on Caius as his lips quirked into a smirk. The wheels were turning in his head; I found my own eyes narrowing in response. He was up to something.

"My apologies, Aro. Presently, I have company. Miss Isabella's attentions were far too enjoyable to part with, I am afraid," he drawled, eyes darting to me in a moment of pure mischief.

 _Aro._ It was the same name Caius called me by the first day in his study. This was the man he'd mistaken me for. This man, Aro, reared back to his full height and turned around slowly, his posture rigid but still so full of grace. And as his face came into view, I gasped, suddenly finding it hard to breathe in his presence. My throat closed up, and there was little I could do other than stare at his marble chiseled features, struck in awe over his straight nose and deep-set ruby eyes.

When our eyes met, time stopped. I had no semblance of my surroundings or my situation. _Aro_ filled my senses entirely. And then he was there, standing right in front of me, staring at me with a violent inferno in his eyes. His nostrils flared and he leaned in close, so close I could feel his breath on my neck. Aro pulled away with a vicious growl, turning to block me completely from Caius' view.

He looked livid. The anger poured out of him in waves, surging towards Caius. But his beratement came out in a chilling whisper. "Caius, brother, why would you keep something of such great importance from me?"

Caius did not back down, and I began to understand that these sort of disputes were tantalizing to him. He craved conflict. "Whatever do you mean, Aro?"

The god before me blurred forward and slammed his hands down on Caius' desk. "I mean, you should have come to speak with me the second you were made aware of her existence."

Caius tutted, shaking his head in response to the irate man. "Maybe you should visit me more, Aro. The girl has been here for a few weeks now, and I have not seen you in my study during that entirety."

Aro scoffed, his back now turned to me fully. "Is this all some rouse to force me into visiting you Caius? Because I know perfectly well that Dora has no qualms with spending her days in your company, and you still turn her away."

A deep bellied laugh escaped Caius' lips, and he rose from his spot behind the desk. "If Dora spent her days in here, I am afraid I would never get anything done, brother."

"And so you choose to spend your days with what is mine, instead?"

"Yes."

Aro growled again, this time tensing and seemingly preparing to pounce. "Not anymore."

Caius smiled then, unfazed by Aro's behavior. "I believe that is up to Miss Isabella. After all, the poor girl just needs a place to read."

I pulled my body into a seated position, crossing my legs in front of me. As terrifying as the entire conversation was, my precarious position made me uncomfortable, and I felt better about dealing with the situation sitting up.

"I rather like Master Caius' study," I voiced, drawing the attention of both men. "And he makes for good company. I am tasked to this room, so I see no reason why I shouldn-"

"Enough," Aro bellowed, stopping me in the middle of my sentence. "This is no longer your decision."

I narrowed my eyes at the man, adamant that nobody take my freedom from me. Let alone the little opportunity I have to relax in this prison of a palace. He met my gaze with equal intensity, and I wanted nothing more, at that moment, than to rip his throat out. Even though my servitude and respect were required, I would not allow my free time (my allowed free time) to be controlled by a man I neither knew or directly worked for. I was more Caius' servant than this Aro's.

"Brother, I will continue to allow Isabella to spend her time in my study, as long as she desires. I do not see the issue in this," Caius replied tursely.

A sneer from Aro drew Caius' lips into a tight grimace, and the raven-haired man looked ready to pounce. Instead, he turned back to me, the same sneer still plastered across his face, and stalked forward.

He did not argue or speak with Caius, again. Rather, he lunged forward, scooped me up in his arms, and ushered us out the door. All the while, I found myself too shocked to fight the man back. As soon as his ice-cold limbs encircled around me, all rational thought left my head, and I forgot the initial reason for my ire.

It didn't take long before he reminded me of the abhorrent dominating personality he sported moments ago when, with a growl, he looked down on me. "You're going to fight me every second of the rest of our lives, aren't you."


	4. Fight

**AN: Hey guys! I am still here, I was just up in the air on how this next chapter should go. I finally sucked it up and wrote it out. I might go back and edit this story later on, after everything is finished. But I didn't want to keep you waiting too long, so here it is!**

 **Fight**

 _It didn't take long before he reminded me of the abhorrent dominating personality he sported moments ago, when with growl, he looked down on me. "You're going to fight me every second of the rest of our lives, aren't you."_

"I apologize," I started, finally coming back down from the shock of Aro sweeping me out of the study. "But I do not recall vowing the rest of my life to you."

His cold arms gripped me tighter, and I felt the air rush out of my lungs. I sputtered, struggling to breathe before he loosened his hold.

"That isn't necessary. You are in service to the Volturi, are you not?" He did not cast a glance in my direction, but elected to stare ahead, focused on his destination.

"I am."

"Then you will serve me," he drawled. Thin lips dragged into a mischievous grin. "You will serve me quite well, _Isabella."_

The way he spoke my name sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to squirm, wrench myself from his grasp, and run away from these uncomfortable and foreign feelings. But his raven hair was brushing my cheek with every other step and the very scent of it had me spinning. He surrounded me with hints of spearmint, sage, and patchouli; every breath intoxicated me further.

And as the clouds blew into my consciousness, I tried to remind myself that I needed to hold onto my resolve. I could not give into this man's whims, regardless of his status. This was not the agreement that was made. His treatment did not fall under the terms of my servitude.

"But, I am to serve Master Caius," I argued, my voice lacking the fire which consumed it before. His presence calmed my flames; it was unnerving.

Aro vibrated against me and a warning growl resounded from deep in his chest. I took that moment to look up at him, to take his features in entirely. The man holding onto me with such solidity was more beautiful than any man I had the fortune to come across yet. His raven hair glistened in the candlelight, looking almost as silky as it felt against my skin. Alabaster, paper skin stretched over his bone structure, and I could tell that there was something ethereal about this man. His eyes were red like all the other beings I came across in the castle, though they flashed to a deep onyx every time he snuck a glance at me.

His eyes were black now, glaring down at me with an abundance of anger. But amid the anger, I could sense his emotions dwindling. The licks of his flame began to flicker out, resparking my own fire. I met his glare with an equal level of vexation and reached up to grip his cloak collar.

"Are you growling at me, Aro?"

"You are to call me Master Aro, my pet," he sneered, flashing his teeth. "The next time you call me Aro, I will not hesitate to drain you dry."

I snorted at his threat. Confidence continued to grow inside of me with each passing second. And even amid his threats, my heart told me that he wouldn't dare hurt me; that he couldn't. And still, everything about him oozed danger. The voices in my head warned me against placing any trust in him, to watch him with caution. The war between the two was sudden and intense, too intense for just meeting this man.

"Are you removing me from my daily schedule then, _Master Aro?"_

He growled again; the animalistic noise frightened me. He was not happy with my sarcasm. But with every noise and utterance this man made, I became more certain that these people were not people at all, but something supernatural. And even though his threats did not even come close to jostling me out of comfort, my humanity was screaming at me to take his words literally. Still, something deep inside of me placed full trust in this stranger.

We reached the end of the corridor, and Aro kicked open a door, continuing to carry me inside of what seemed to be a master suite. _These must be his rooms_ , I thought, taking in our surroundings. The bed was a four poster beauty, adorned with large furs and an intricately embroidered gold and burgundy quilt. The walls were covered in portraits of Aro and his brothers, as well as what appeared to be a family portrait of the three kings and two women I supposed were the queens of this castle.

Aro dumped me onto the bed, not bothering to pay attention to my landing, and began to pace the length of the room. He did not look at me, did not acknowledge me; he ignored me while the tension in his shoulders grew with each trip across the suite floor. And I was left to watch every movement of his lithe figure, even graceful in frustration.

"Why am I here?" I spoke up after I finally built the courage to interrupt this tense silence. I could not keep my eyes off of him; my sole focus was rapidly becoming him. I was losing control of my own emotions and my heart.

Aro stopped his pacing, and turned on his heel to stare at me. The anger was gone now, but the tension continued to roll off of his in pulsing waves. Four steps forward and he was in front of me, standing at the base of the bed looking down on me. "Because you are _mine_ , Isabella."

I gasped at his reverent proclamation and leaned back against the pillows. "I belong to no one, _Aro."_

And suddenly, he was on me, holding me by my throat. He did not hurt me, but I sensed that he very well could if he desired to. A simple squeeze was all it would take. His grip was tight enough to restrict my airflow in the slightest and I found it more difficult to breathe.

"What did I tell you, my pet?" He growled, his sweet breath fanning across my face. Everything about him was alluring to me, even his attempt at scaring me.

"That you would drain me dry if I called you by your name again," I repeated his words, choking through every syllable. But I refused to take my eyes off his, watching as the fire grew in his orbs.

"Do you know what I am, _Isabella?_ Do you know what I could do to you?"

"No," I answered. "But I have an inkling."

And I did. But the word still would not come to me. I couldn't begin to fathom what he actually was. Not with the behaviors he presented to me tonight.

Aro released me then, and I sputtered. His stark white teeth glistened inches from my face as a snarl emitted from him. "I am a vampire, _Isabella_. And I will be keeping you by my side for the rest of eternity."


End file.
